Vang Vieng

Above Laos flies at sunrise and sunset over the Nam Song and the karsts, roughly 45 minutes airborne. Around $165pp; book a day ahead.

A steep 25 to 30 minute scramble to the famous motorbike-on-a-rock photo, 10,000 kip, open 6am to 6pm. Wear proper shoes.

Quieter than Blue Lagoon 1, with swimming, a rope swing and shade, around 10,000 kip. Reachable by scooter or on a buggy tour.

Half-day paddle through light rapids with karsts on both sides, usually finishing back in town. Guided trips from any agency.

Lit cave with proper steps and a viewpoint over the valley, in the Vang Vieng Resort grounds. The easiest cave for non-cavers.

About an hour from Vientiane and 50 minutes from Luang Prabang. Vang Vieng station is well out of town, so take a shared van in.

Three to four hours on Route 13 for a few dollars. Slower than the train, but it drops you in the middle of town.

Around six hours of mountain switchbacks. Scenic, but the train is faster and far kinder if you are prone to carsickness.

October to April: dry trails, clear karsts and reliable sunrise balloon flights.

May to September. Cheapest beds, but the river runs high and brown and lagoons can close.

New Year and Lao New Year in April, plus weekends when Thai visitors fill the town.

Balloon at sunrise over the karsts, or a lie-in and coffee at a riverside cafe as the mist lifts off the Nam Song.

Rent a scooter or join a buggy tour out to the lagoons, stopping at a cave or two along the dirt tracks.

Riverside lunch in town - laap, fried rice or a sandwich - then a swim off the Nam Song bank.

Kayak or tube a stretch of the Nam Song, or climb Nam Xay from about 3.30pm for the late light.

Sunset from a river bar, then dinner and the strip. Most bars shut by midnight. Sealed or watched pours only.

Tube through a lit river cave on a rope line about 20 minutes out, usually bundled with ziplines and a lagoon stop.

The mountain road toward Luang Prabang climbs through spectacular karst. Stop only at marked laybys; rural Laos still holds UXO.